Wall and process of forming same



June 7, 1932. J. H. SKILLIN WALL AND PROCESS OF FORMING SAME Filed July 5, 1929 Attorney Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES TENT JAMES HARLEY SKILLIN, OF DALHART, TEXAS WALL AND rnocnss or romaine SAME Application filed July 5, 1929. Serial No. 376,216.

very pleasing in appearance and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, arrangement of parts, and a system for forming the same as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated ,in the accompanying drawing, wherein is'disclosed an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications, may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a wall formed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates one method of forming a wall in accordance with the present invention, and

,Figure 3iillustrates a modified method of forming the wall in accordance with the pres ent invention.

In carrying out the invention, the particles I of sand, either alone or a mixture with other ingredients, are brought to a state of incipient fusing by an application of heat, which causes a coalescence or an inter-adherence of the sand particles.

It is to be understoodthat the present invention is adaptable for forming all kinds of Walls, such as building walls, grave vaults, building blocks, brick side walks where a weather proof surface is desirable, but the invention is not necessarily limited thereto,

as the invention would be applicable to any of the types heretofore mentioned, whether they would be exposed to the weather ornot.

In the description of the invention, the

Word sand is to be understood as those sands found in common sand pits or river deposits in their natural state. It is to be noted that the presentinvention utilizes no extraneous binding material and the natural sands are utilized without screening, washing or any other treatment.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, where the present invention is illustrated in the operation of building of foundation wall, 4 indicates the surface of the ground, in which the foundation wall is being preformed. The ground 4: is formed with a suitable opening 5 of the approximate dimension of the finished wall and supported therein by any extraneous means are a pair r of longitudinally extending steel frames 6, 7 of any desired heightand thickness. Between the wallsof the frames 6, 7, is the form for holding the ingredients of the wall to be presentlymentioned. The interior faces of 1 the plate are preferably formed with layers ,of heat resisting materials 8, 9, which may be either in the sheet form or may be applied to the same in the form of a wash. Suitable materials for the layers 8, 9, could be asbestos and other fire proof and heat insulating materials.- The layers 8, 9, merely protect the forms 6, 7 from'excessive heat encountered in the formation of the Walls; A suitable shiftable application of heat as indicated a heating means shown is of oxy-acetylene blow'torch 11, but it is Within the contemplation of the invention to utilize any practical application of heat, such as electricity, gas, oil burners or the like.

' As each layer is deposited, the heating means In forming the wall, sand in its natural state from common sand pits in river beds, is deposited'in layers of suitable thickness commensurate with the penetrating qualities of the heating means 10, in successive layers. The sand may be mixed with any suitable mineral coloring matter which will give the desirable color under the conditions of heat application used in accordance with the present invention. It is also to be noted that the sand may be used in the wetor. dry state.

10 is applied thereto until the particles of sand reach such temperature as to produce an inter-adherence of the sand "particles;

This point of temperature should be such that there is only formed-a surface cohesion between the particles as distinct frommelting the "desired, which for the purpose of illustration is shown in Figure l of the drawing,theforms "6, 7, are removed, whereupon the wall is self supporting, by reasonof the particles having been incipiently fused together. The finished wall is indicated generally at 12, and after 1 the forms have been removed, either of the faces 13 or the top 14 may be glazed by the blow torch 11, when a temperature is reached .Whichis equivalent to the fusion point or 'melting point of the sand.

. Since the application of heat is local, only the exterior surfaces in direct contact with the flame of the torch will be fused, whereby surface glazing will be applied, that is entirely weather proof and water resisting,

Whilethe foregoing description is confined to a building wall of upright character, it is within the contemplation of the invention to apply the forms in horizontal position and build a side walk or other horizontal wall in accordance with the present invention.

It is further to be understood that slabs,

casing walls, or'other types may be made by the present invention. j I

Referring particularly to Figure 3 of the drawing, wherein a modification of the present inventionis shown, block units indicated generally at 15, may be preformed in a factory by filling suitable steel molds with sand of the character hereinbefore referred to and heat is applied to the mold to bring the temperature of the same to the incipiently fusing point hereinbefore referred to. Mineral coloring matter may be mixed with the sand, and the sand may be used in either the dry or wet state. When the building blocks 15 have incipiently fused so that they will retain their shape for transportation, they are trans: ported to the location of the building or other wall to be formed and are placed upon each other in courses as will be clearly understood by referring to Figure 3 of the drawing. Between each course of blocks, joints are formed of the same material in the blocks 15, which may be in either the dry or wet state, andthejoints are indicated at 16. After asuit able number of courses have been laid, which in Figure 3 is shownias being three in number, the blow torch 17 similar to the torch 11 is brought into proximity tothe joint so that the flame thereof will play upon the joint. Thefiame ismaintained upon an area of the joint, until the confusing point thereof is reached, whereby the torch is moved to an other area. The confusing of the jointsis carried on until the courses form one monolithic structure, whereupon thejoints as indicated by dotted lines 17 will be one continuous wall. If it be desired to glaze the exposed weather face of the wall,the operation explained in connection with Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing may be; performed. It is within the contemplation of the'present invention to allow the walls to be glazed or left in the unfinished or congealed state, either of which will be impervious to normal weather conditions and at the same time will not peel, crack, chip or otherwise deteriorate.

It is thought that by describing in detail herein any particular form structure or arrangement it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms ofthe several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

WVhat is claimed is: a

1. A process of forming wall structures comprising depositing layers of suitablethickness of sand and producing an incipient fus ing of the sand particles by'suitable heating means and then fusing the weather surface of the wall by suitable heat to form a glazed weather proof surface. a

2. Aproccss of forming wall structures comprising depositing a layer of sand in a :heat resisting form and producing anincipient fusing of'the sand particles by an application of heat, depositing successive layers of sand in the form and causing each successive layer to inter-adhere with the others, by an application of heat and thereafter removing the form andfusing the weather face of the wall by heat to form a glazed weather proof surface on amonolithic wall.

3. A process for forming wall structures comprising depositing layers of suitable thickness of sand and mineralcoloring matter and producing an incipient fusing of the sand particles'by suitable heating means and-there after fusing the weather surface of the walls 

